Things That Matter the Most
by zizza24
Summary: Tony and Ziva grow closer than ever, but what happens when Ziva is found lying motionless while in the field?
1. Chapter 1

"Perfect."

Ziva smiled as she pulled the last pint of chocolate ice cream from her freezer. She grabbed a spoon from the drawer underneath the counter and made her way to the quaint living room, a movie already in the DVD player. She wasn't sure what it was, something Tony had insisted she borrow. She had just pressed the play button on the large, silver remote and had just removed the top to her ice cream, her spoon stuck in the chocolate, when someone knocked on the door.

She groaned loudly as she pressed 'Pause' and moved towards the door. She straightened out her purple t-shirt and her black and purple boxer shorts. She wanted nothing more than to just curl up with her Ben and Jerry's and this strange movie on her couch, but this night stranger was keeping her. She opened the door and, although it killed her to admit it, she was happy to see Tony standing on the other side.

"Agent DiNozzo, what are you doing here?"

Tony stood, leaning against the doorframe, a look on his face that Ziva did not recognize. Instead of asking questions, she moved aside and let him in, walking past her towards the living room. This was not the first time he had ever been inside her apartment. This was also not the first time they had ever shared late night talks. But there was something different about tonight, and it killed Ziva that she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Gone With the Wind? Good choice," Tony said as he picked up the DVD case and placed it back down on the table before he sat down and put his head in his hands. Ziva wasn't sure what to do. She could stand where she was, and give him his space, or she could move onto the couch and place a hand on his shoulder.

She didn't remember deciding, but as her feet carried her across the floor to occupy the space next to her friend, she didn't object. She slowly reached her hand up and placed it on his shoulder, and he lifted his head at the feel of her touch. "I'm sorry for showing up here so late."

She smiled and ran her finger along his shoulder. "Do not be sorry. Just tell me what is wrong."

"That's the thing, there is nothing wrong. Everything in my life, it's perfect. But I still feel like something is missing."

"You need a girlfriend."

He smiled. "The last time I had one of those, it didn't turn out well. Of course, I was acting so it was never supposed to work out, but you know what I mean. I'm not the kind of guy who has a girlfriend."

Ziva pulled his face up to hers, her finger under his chin. She could feel the hairs on his chin, just barely there. "Tony, do not blame yourself for what happened with Jeanne. It was Jenny's idea."

"But I should have stopped it; I should have told her when I had the chance."

"And blown your cover?"

Tony shook his head slowly, that look from earlier returning to his face. "Tony, you cannot do this. You only did what you were supposed to do."

"But I didn't. Because I was never supposed to fall in love with her."

The pain in his eyes caused Ziva to feel pain. She wished there was a way to make him see that he's not going to be alone. "No one is ever supposed to fall in love with someone," she mumbled.

"What?"

Tony stared long and hard into Ziva's eyes, the dark brown making him feel safer then he has in years. "No one is ever supposed to fall in love with the person they actually fall for. But it happens and we learn to deal with it. We learn to accept it."

She didn't see him move closer to her. She didn't see him move his hands. But she did feel his hand slowly moving up her arm, a trail of goosebumps left behind. She felt his hand get tangled in her hair, unlike the times he would tousle her hair at work. She felt his breath, soft and hot on her neck, his mouth moving up towards her own.

As his lips touched hers, she closed her eyes, letting herself go in the moment. She raised her hands up and put one on each of Tony's cheeks as he slowly laid her back on the couch. His fingers moved to her stomach, slowly moving underneath her paper-thin shirt. Ziva wrapped her fingers around his neck, their lips still connected. Tony lifted the shirt up around Ziva's head, their lips only separating for a second. She tugged at the bottom of his gray t-shirt, her fingers tickling his abdomen, and she could feel him smiling.

But suddenly his lips were gone and she felt herself frown. "What is wrong?"

Tony sat back on his heels and Ziva shifted underneath him, placing her arms behind her so she could lean. "Ziva, we don't have to do this. I shouldn't be pulling you into this problem."

She leaned forward and placed her finger over his lips, still hot and swollen. "I want to do this. Honestly." He moved her hand and placed his lips on hers again, her fingers finding their way to the edge of his shirt again. But this time, she completely lifted it over his head and he ran his fingers through her dark brown waves again. He pulled her up off the couch and she directed him towards the bedroom, her fingers managing to remove his belt as they moved.

And as Tony laid Ziva back onto the bed, she stared into his eyes, seeing nothing but passion in them.


	2. Chapter 2

Ziva woke up early the next morning to her cell phone vibrating on her bedside table. She turned off the alarm and grabbed her clothes from the pile on the floor before heading for the bathroom. She slipped her t-shirt back over her head, the smell of Tony's cologne faintly filling her nose. She slid back into her boxer shorts and managed to rake a brush through her tangled hair before pulling it back into a loose ponytail. She snuck back out of the bathroom and into the hallway, where she made her way to the kitchen. She searched her cupboards, her refrigerator, her freezer, but there was nothing to make for breakfast. She peeked down the hall and could hear Tony still snoring, the thought of running down to the little local bakery for some donuts crossing her mind. She grabbed her keys from the counter when she heard a cell phone ringing in the living room.

As she moved towards the coffee table, she glanced down at her phone in her hand, realizing it was Tony's that was ringing. She checked the caller id and read aloud, "McGee." She flipped the phone open and said, "Good morning McGee."

"Ziva?"

She laughed. "Yes, is there something you needed? Tony is still asleep."

McGee began to stumble on his words. "Tony is sleeping? Did you sleep at his place?"

"No, he is at mine. McGee, was there something you needed to tell him?"

"Uh, yeah. We need you both in the office. Abby found something from the Crawford case."

Ziva sighed. "We will be in soon." She shut the phone as two warm arms wrapped around her waist. "We are being summoned."

Tony turned her around so he was looking into her eyes. "Don't worry; the bodies will still be dead when we get there." She smiled and he kissed her, a sweet, soft kiss, unlike anything they shared last night. As much as Ziva enjoyed the current moment, she knew they both needed to be in Abby's office 5 minutes ago.

"Come on, love boy."

As Ziva walked towards her room to change, Tony corrected her. "Actually, I think you meant lover boy. Or love bug." She glared at him. "You know what, it doesn't matter. I'll wait out here while you get ready. I'm okay with the two day walk of shame."

"Well, it is your fault you did not bring extra clothes," Ziva said as she closed her door.

Tony laughed. "In my defense, I didn't think I would be spending the night here."

Ziva opened her door quickly and said, "Then you should have gone to visit Gibbs." And just as quickly, her door was shut and Tony smiled as he sat down on the couch, never taking his eyes off that door.

"McGee, enlighten me."

Tony and Ziva gathered around the large screen and listened as McGee told them what they needed to know.

"Uh, Abby found a third set of fingerprints on the crowbar, which means there was a third person involved in the murder. The fingerprints actually belong to Mr. Jackson Foster, 35 years old, lives in Baltimore, Maryland. We are still looking into his personal files but he was last spotted leaving Mrs. Crawford's house two days ago, about three hours before Mr. Crawford was found dead at the park."

Gibbs turned and left the group, shouting, "Good work McGee," over his shoulder. Tony, Ziva and McGee watched him walk onto the elevator and then Tony and Ziva walked back to their desks, not one sarcastic comment given by either, which was very unusual.

"Did something happen-"

McGee was interrupted by his desk phone ringing. He stared at both Tony and Ziva before picking up the receiver and saying, "Timothy McGee. We'll be right down Abbs." McGee hung the phone up and looked up to see Tony and Ziva standing right in front of his desk. "Abby needs us down in the lab. You two are freaking me out."

Tony and Ziva exchanged glances and then walked away towards Abby, McGee jumping from his desk to catch up to them. "Where do you think Gibbs went?" Ziva asked.

"My guess is to pay a visit to Mrs. Crawford to find out why she was sleeping around on her husband. With his killer," Tony explained as they walked into Abby's lab, where she was typing away at one of her many computers. "Abby, what's up?"

"Look."

The three of them walked over to where Abby was staring at the computer screen. "What is this Abby?" Tony asked.

"This is a video of Mr. Foster and Mrs. Crawford leaving a restaurant together one hour after the body was found. Both in smiles. I don't think the wife knew anything about the murder."

"So how did her fingerprints end up on the crowbar?" McGee asked.

Abby shrugged. "It could have been anything. She could have used it earlier in the week or she could have let Foster borrow it."

Tony's phone began ringing from his pocket and he flipped it open. "Special agent DiNozzo."

"Tony, I've got Crawford's wife up here. You and David want to learn something? Get up here."

The line went dead and Tony turned to Ziva. "Boss wants us in the interrogation room. He brought the wife in." They headed for the door and McGee turned to watch.

"What about me?"

"Help Abby," Tony shouted over his shoulder and then they disappeared. McGee frowned and turned to Abby, who was still studying the video.

"Did you know they spent the night together last night?"

She turned to look at him. "Tony and Ziva? They do that all the time."

McGee frowned. "Yeah, but Ziva never answers his phone when someone calls. And he never comes into work with her the next morning. Abby, I'm telling you something is up." He looked over at Abby, who was intrigued in the screen. "Abby!"

"McGee, you are freaking out about nothing. So what if they did sleep together? They are adults; they can make their own choices. Now, stop worrying about their personal lives and help me tear this video footage apart." He smiled at her dedication and decided to help her and push the curiosity away, for now at least.


	3. Chapter 3

"Duckie, what'd we miss?"

Tony and Ziva quietly entered the viewing portion of the interrogation room, where Duckie and Palmer were already watching. Duckie turned to Tony and said, "Jethro is trying to get Mrs. Crawford to tell him where Mr. Foster is hiding."

"He must have gone to check the house and Jackson had disappeared," Ziva said.

"Teresa, we know you had nothing to do with the murder. We ran scans and found Jackson's prints. But I need you to tell me where he is staying, because until we find him, your life is in danger."

Teresa's face looked tired. "Special agent Gibbs, why did he kill my husband? They were best friends. They served together for 10 years. Why now?"

Gibbs looked at her and said, "We think he wanted money. But he knew the only way to get any of that money would be to kill your husband, because then he could have you for himself."

"But why does he want to be with me?"

Tony laughed lightly. "My guess is because you were giving him something no other woman was."

Ziva slapped him on the back of the head.

"That was unnecessary," he stated.

Suddenly, Gibbs' voice echoed through the room. "Because you were already with him. We have a video of you leaving dinner with him the same day he killed your husband. You had no idea your husband was dead at the time, you were just continuing the affair."

Tony and Ziva moved closer to the glass as McGee walked into the room. Teresa was in tears as she said, "He's in Baltimore. He went back to his family home."

Gibbs stood up and said, "Teresa, I want you to stay here. I'm going to make sure this is taken care of and you are safe."

Teresa smiled and Gibbs left the interrogation room and the other five let the viewing room, following closely behind him. "Duckie, do me a favor and take care of Mrs. Crawford. She's fragile. Palmer, go see if Abby needs any help with anything. DiNozzo, Ziva, McGee, pack your stuff. We're going to Baltimore."

Duckie and Palmer turned around and the other four rushed to their desks, "McGee, we got an address?"

"On it, boss."

'Nice house."

"That's Foster's car. The license plate matched the one from the car he and Teresa drove away in from the restaurant."

Gibbs parked the car in front of the two story, white house. "DiNozzo, McGee, take the back. Ziva, you're with me." They all readied their weapons and exited the car, Tony and McGee walking to the backyard. Ziva and Gibbs slowly opened the door, their guns up.

As Gibbs took the stairs to the 2nd floor, Ziva began to survey the first floor. She checked the living room, the family room, the office and the kitchen, but there was no one in sight. "Gibbs, I think-"

Suddenly, Ziva felt a blow to the head and she fell to the floor, her gun sliding across the linoleum. She rolled over and lifted herself up, her fist rapidly connecting with Jackson's face. However, she quickly realized he was much larger in person than on tape and as he punched her square in the stomach, she fell into the wall and slid down, completely hunched over in pain. She didn't have the energy to look for her gun or for Jackson.

But then, she heard someone load a gun.

And then she heard a gunshot.


	4. Chapter 4

Ziva's eyes slowly flickered open to see Jackson lying next to her, blood rushing from his chest. She tried to breathe in, but started coughing, her chest feeling weighed down. She looked around the room as best as she could, her eye catching sight of Gibbs standing a few feet away, gun at his side. Gibbs took notice to her slowly moving around and he was at her side in a second, helping her sit up.

"Ziva, are you okay?"

She slowly shook her head and he took his jacket off to put under her head. "Here, put your head on this." She put her head down and her eyes were immediately shut. "Ziva?" But there was no answer. He placed his hand near her heart and when he felt the steady beating, he let out a breath. He let her sleep as he began to look around the scene, not really sure what to expect to find.

He attempted to find a pulse on Jackson but there was nothing. He looked across the floor and saw Ziva's gun and broken shards of glass scattered around Ziva's body. When he heard hurried footsteps, he turned around and saw Tony and McGee rushing in through the back door.

"Boss, is she-"

Without thinking, Tony rushed to the floor next to Ziva, quickly taking her hand in his. "Tony, what are you doing?"

Tony looked up at him, silent, his eyes pleading, and Gibbs stepped away to stand next to McGee. "Is there something going on with them?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

They both stood and watched until they heard Duckie come through the front door. As he and Palmer knelt next to the dead body, Ziva began to stir.

"Tony?" Her voice was rough and her eyes were fluttering, still adjusting to the light.

"Hi," he said as she slowly sat up. "How are you feeling?"

She groaned. "Like I have been hit by a truck."

Tony smiled.

"What?"

"Nothing. Uhm, let's get you to the hospital so they can check you out." He helped her to her feet and let her lean on him as they walked out. He turned to Gibbs, who tossed him the keys to the car. "Thanks boss."

They silently made their way to the car and after Tony helped Ziva into the front seat, he drove to the hospital, never letting go of her hand.

Ziva was quiet the entire ride, and she stared out the window the entire drive. Tony rubbed his thumb on her left hand, moving slowly over the cuts he could feel. He pulled their joined hands up to his mouth and kissed hers before he slowed to stop at a red light.

"Tony?"

He turned in hopes of seeing her face, but she was still facing the window. "Yeah?"

She shifted in her seat and finally turned to look at him. The first thing he noticed was the black surrounding her right eye. And then, the cuts on her forehead, her cheeks, her neck. Her eyes were red and swollen. "Would you be able to stay with me tonight? I do not want to be alone."

"Of course."

She smiled a tired smile before turning back to the window. Tony smiled as he pressed the pedal down, truly amazed that even in the amount of pain she was in, and she still managed to talk perfectly, not contractions, no errors. The car ride fell silent again until Tony pulled the car into the parking lot of the hospital. Ziva began to help herself out of the car, but Tony rushed around, not willing to let her do it alone. "Tony, I am fine."

"Well, then humor me and let me help."

She groaned as she slowly lifted herself from the seat, her body almost latched onto Tony's. They walked through the double doors and stood in front of the desk where a small red head was sitting, a large smile on her face. "Can I help you?"

"NCIS special agents, we need to get an x-ray for Officer David," Tony said as he flashed his badge at the woman. She immediately picked up her phone and called for assistance, a male nurse arriving in seconds.

"Follow me."

He escorted them down the first floor hallway to an empty, small examination room. Ziva took a seat on the exam table, her legs dangling over the edge, while Tony sat in the lone chair across the room. Ziva kept her arm over her stomach, occasionally raising her hand to her head, running her fingers over the cuts. Then, she moved her hand to the back of the head and the painful look on her face caused Tony to wince.

The door swung open and a tall, male doctor walked in, a chart in his hand. "Officer David, haven't seen you in a while. Long night?"

She smiled and the doctor began his examination. "Well, it looks like you are going to need stitches in both cuts on your forehead. Is there anywhere else that should be checked out?"

Ziva lay back on the bed and lifted her shirt up, revealing a mass of black and blue covering her stomach. The doctor began to lightly press on them, clearly feeling for damage, and Tony had to turn away, the sight too much for him. He stared at a poster on the wall, "10 Ways to a Better Heart," when he heard the doctor say, "I can't feel any damage, but we should get an x-ray just to be sure."

She sat up and stepped down from the table, following the doctor to the door. But she turned around when she realized Tony wasn't following. She held her hand out towards him and he stood up, grabbing her hand as they followed the doctor down the hallway. When they reached the room, Tony stayed behind the glass window and watched as Ziva slowly climbed onto the table, the doctor arranging the camera over her stomach. He left the room and entered the room with the control panel. Tony watched Ziva as she lay there on the table, a completely different person than the woman he was used to seeing every day.

The doctor reentered the large, dark room and Ziva sat up, listening to what the doctor was telling her. Then, the doctor and Ziva walked back to where Tony was standing and the doctor said, "The x-ray came back clear. There's no damage, just deep bruising. She's going to be in pain for a while."

"Is there anything I can do to help with the pain?"

Ziva smiled and the doctor answered. "Just make sure she takes it easy for the next couple of weeks. As much as she'll hate it, she's going to be stuck on desk work with cases for a while. No extreme activities, just lots of rest and relaxation."

Tony winked at Ziva and said, "Don't worry doc, I won't let her out of my sight."


	5. Chapter 5

"I am going to shower."

Ziva carried her coat and bag to her room, closing the door behind her. She was still silent on the ride home, but this time she looked out the front window, her thumb now rubbing Tony's hand. Tony walked into the kitchen and set down the bag of greasy food they had stopped for on the way home.

As he heard the shower turn on, his phone began to ring from his back pocket. "DiNozzo."

"Tony, how's Ziva?"

Tony smiled at Abby's voice on the other line. She could hear McGee in the background. "She is fine. She's in the shower right now. The doctor said there is just deep bruising. And she had a few stitches. But she'll be fine, just lots of rest."

"Wait, she's in the shower and you are on the phone with me? Tony, are you in love?"

Tony coughed. "Abby, I am not in love. Calm down. I'm just taking care of a friend. Could you tell McGee to settle down in the background too? I promise, Ziva is going to be fine here."

"Tony, are you sure you should be taking care of someone? Especially a woman?" McGee's voice make Tony's smile fade. "I mean, not that you can't take care of people, but Ziva is strong-willed."

"McGeek, we'll be fine. Tell Gibbs everything is under control and we'll be there tomorrow morning."

Tony snapped his phone shut and pulled the two burgers and fries out of the bag, setting them on plates he had found in the cupboard. He had just poured two cups of tea when he heard the shower turn off. He carried them out to the living room and set them on the small table.

A few minutes later, she stepped out of her bedroom, dressed in a white t-shirt and black cut-off sweatpants. Her dark brown hair was still damp and hung down her back. She smiled as she noticed Tony sitting on the couch, eating his burger. She silently sat down on the couch next to him and picked up one of the mugs.

"Thank you," she said as she leaned back, her still-swollen hands wrapped around the navy blue mug.

Tony grabbed his own mug and said, "For what?"

"For taking me to the hospital. For sticking around here. You do not have to stay all night. I will be fine."

"I am not leaving you." Tony leaned forward and brushed Ziva's hair from her face. He ran his thumb over the bandage where a set of stitches were, her skin warm. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, in between two sets of stitches. Then, he pressed one to the tip of her nose, both cheeks, and then her lips.

"Tony, wait." He pulled away and looked into her tired eyes. "I do not want this to be a fling. You and I, it needs to be real or I will not do it."

But Tony covered her lips with his finger. "Ziva, this is real. I'm not messing around this time. What I feel for you, it's something I've never felt before, even with Jeanne. But I don't want to mess this up, and I have an act of messing that up. So please, give me a chance. Give me a chance to prove that I can do this."

That was all she needed to hear. She didn't need a detailed reason as to why he wanted this chance, or what he was feeling. All she wanted to hear was that he was feeling the same way she was. She moved his hand away from her lips and then kissed him, and suddenly, her entire body relaxed. Her kiss became more intense, but Tony quickly pulled away and said, "Ziva, you are supposed to be relaxing."

"I am relaxed."

Tony laughed. "I understand that, but if we keep going like this, you aren't going to be relaxing."

Ziva smirked. "But you would be helping the pain."

"I doubt that. Look, I want this to happen again just as much as you do, but I need to put your health first."

Ziva planted one more kiss on his warm lips and said, "I have you racked around my finger, Tony."

She leaned back against the couch, grabbing her mug again, and turned on the TV, as Tony said, "Honey, it's wrapped."

And then she smiled and leaned into him, both of them watching the television until they fell asleep.

"_Gibbs, I think-"_

_Suddenly, I felt someone hit me in the back of the head. As I fell to the ground rapidly, I heard glass shatter. _

"_You shouldn't wander around a killer's house alone, such a pretty thing like you."_

_I searched for my gun as best as I could, the pain overbearing. I couldn't see it, so I lifted myself off the ground, coming face to face with Jackson. I got one punch off before he hit me hard, my gut immediately in pain. I backed into the wall and slid down, not able to fight any longer. _

_And then the gun shot. _

Ziva jumped from her deep sleep, awaking Tony in the process. Her face was covered in sweat and her hands were shaking. "Ziva, what's wrong?" Tony asked as he rubbed his eyes, trying to wake himself up.

She shook her head. "Nothing, there is nothing wrong. I was just sleeping the wrong way. I am fine." She tried to get up off the couch but Tony grabbed her wrist. She stopped walking but faced away from him, refusing to let him see the tears that were streaming down her face.

"Ziva, talk to me."

"Tony, I am scared."

She stepped backwards and Tony lowered her onto his lap. "Of what?"

"Everything. This job. Our relationship. I do not want to lose it," she said, the fear coming out in her voice. "I cannot lose it."

Tony pushed her hair behind her shoulders. "What makes you think you are going to lose it?"

"I thought I had lost it all today. When I heard that gunshot, I thought it was me. Even when I did not feel any pain, I had assumed you just did not feel pain when you were shot. I did not know. But then, I saw your face. I heard your voice. And suddenly, I realized if I had been killed, you never would have known how I felt."

Tony reached up and wiped a tear from her face, a small smile forming over her lips.

"Tony, I love you. I have since day 1 and I am still not exactly sure why, but I do know it is true."

His lips were on hers within seconds. He knew she needed to rest, and honestly, he did too, but this was more important right now. When they finally pulled away, he said, "I love you too, Ziva. And I promise, I am never EVER letting you out of my sight again. You are too important in my life for me to risk losing you like I thought I did today."

She smiled and kissed him again. "So this is real?"

He nodded.

"Good. You get to tell Gibbs."

He groaned and she kissed him again before standing up and grabbing his hand, them both heading to the bedroom for some much needed sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

"You had sex last night."

Ziva groaned as she slowly lifted her head from her desk, Abby's bright and bubbly face smiling in front of her. "You are mistaken."

Abby shook her head. "And I know who it was too."

This time, Ziva sat up straight. "And who do you think it was?"

"Tony."

"Did he tell you?" Ziva asked as all the blood rushed to her cheeks.

"No, but your reaction just now tells me you did."

Ziva smiled, happy to see Abby again. "I cannot get anything by you, Abby."

Abby leaned her palms onto Ziva's desk and asked, "Do I get any details?"

Ziva opened her mouth to answer when Tony and McGee walked by. "I will meet you after work for drinks." Abby smiled and silently bounced off to the elevators.

"What was that about?"

Ziva glanced up at Tony, who had taken the spot where Abby had been standing just moments before. "Abby and I are going out tonight."

Tony's reaction softened as he replied, "Oh."

"Why?"

Tony shook his head. "It's nothing," he said as he walked away and Ziva looked up at McGee, completely confused. "What just happened?"

McGee sighed. "Tony told me he was planning on cooking dinner for you tonight. He thought you would stay in and watch movies together."

Ziva's throat felt dry. "I need to go and talk to Abby." Then she stood up and walked to the elevator, leaving McGee alone. Ziva slowly entered Abby's lab, a wave of guilt washing over her. "Abby, we need to talk."

Abby turned around, a large smile on her face. "You have to cancel."

Ziva smiled. "Am I that easy to read?"

"Ziva, what happened with Tony? And don't say nothing because you both have that look," Abby said.

Ziva leaned against Abby's desk before beginning. "He came over two nights ago. He was upset so we talked, and he told me everything I wanted to hear, even though I already knew. I did the same for him. And then we kissed."

"He was scared yesterday," Abby said. "McGee told me. He knew as soon as he saw that look on Tony's face when you were lying on the ground. He knew this wasn't just a fling."

Ziva smiled again. "It is definitely not a fling."

"Do you love him?"

Ziva nodded.

"Then by all means, cancel on me. I'm sure McGee will agree to do something with me. But you have to promise to keep me in the loop. I mean, I don't need to know what goes on in the bedroom, although I'd love to finally know what keeps women attracted to Tony, but you know what I mean," Abby said and Ziva hugged her, surprising Abby.

"Thank you, Abby."

"DiNozzo, what the hell are you doing?"

Tony sat, staring at the blank MTAC screen as he felt Gibbs take a seat next to him. "Hey boss."

"Tony, what's going on?"

Again, Tony sat silently, but this time he stared at his boss, hoping he had answers for his silent questions. Gibbs took a sip of his coffee and said, "It's Ziva, isn't it? You need to talk about Ziva."

"I love her, boss. And I have for a while. But I don't want it to end badly. I can't lose her. Yesterday, when she was there on the ground, motionless, I panicked. I thought she was gone. And I was pissed. I was pissed because I wasn't there with her. I was pissed because you had left her alone. But when I heard her say my name, I realized we were given a second chance. And I'm not letting it slide by this time. Boss, I'm breaking Rule 12."

Gibbs stared at the blank screen this time, not saying a word. "Boss, some advice would be nice."

"I felt the same way about Jen," he started. "I didn't want to lose her after Paris. But I did. And I didn't see her again until she showed up here at NCIS. I pushed her away, and I will regret that choice for the rest of my life because I don't get another chance. Tony, don't sit back and let her go. Because that is the biggest mistake I have ever made."

Both men sat silent for a while before Gibbs reached up and smacked the back of Tony's head. "That's for violating Rule 12."

"Well deserved, boss," Tony said as he stood up from his seat and headed for the door. He stepped out and almost fell over as he ran into Ziva, who winced in pain. "I'm sorry, are you okay?"

"I am fine," she said with a smile. "I was just bringing these to Gibbs."

"So what time are you meeting Abby?"

"Oh, I cancelled." Tony smiled and Ziva continued. "I told her that I had a date tonight."

"She must have been crushed."

Ziva shook her head. "She understands."

They just stood, staring into each other's eyes, when the door to MTAC opened and Gibbs stepped out. He walked by, but stopped just before the stairs. "Hey DiNozzo, take care of her."

"On it boss," he said, his eyes never breaking from Ziva's.

Gibbs smiled as he went down the stairs and whispered, "Miss you, Jen," as he approached the squad room, a slight smile on his face."


End file.
